Owl’s Brew: When Tea & Beer Brew Together

You know how people say that certain things go together like peanut butter and jelly? Or like peas and carrots? Forrest Gump references aside, the newest perfect pairing is beer and tea – the perfect double brew, according to Owl’s Brew Radler, a new line of craft beer.

The freshest product to hit the beer market is a riff on shandy, which is beer mixed with something light and refreshing, like lemonade or ginger ale. More specifically, radler is a mixture of equal parts beer and sparkling lemonade popular in Germany. The word “radler” translates to “cyclist,” since many people would want something less alcoholic but equally as refreshing as a beer before hopping back on their bicycles. Legend has it that this beer cocktail was invented by a German innkeeper waiting for his cyclist regulars when he realized he wouldn’t have enough beer with everyone. Thanks to some quick thinking, he stirred fresh lemonade into the beer for a refreshing drink that’s still popular today.

But now, two women have created their own line of radler by mixing four different kinds of beer with perfectly paired brewed tea (60% beer, 40% tea). The Blondie is made with wheat beer, English breakfast tea, lemon and lime for a gentle, subtle take on summery beer; Wicked Watermelon has wheat beer, white tea, watermelon, and pomegranate juice for a refreshing, fruity flavor; That’s my JAM is made with amber ale, darjeeling tea, strawberry, and hibiscus for floral flair; and Short and Stout uses chocolate stout, chai tea, coconut, and pineapple for a rich, warming flavor – though this one is their winter seasonal.

The ladies behind the brand, Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield, know a thing or two about boozing up tea. Their first Owl’s Brew line features tea-based cocktail mixers that range from Salted Caramel Toddy to Grapefruit Collins, and after quite a bit of anticipation on our end, the radlers launched this spring. Considering the low ABV, we’re definitely feeling these botanical beers for a brunch alternative to champagne cocktails…tea is a breakfast drink, right?

According to Ripps, the two of them found themselves combining beer with these tea-based mixers for fizzy cocktails. “Even when we’d drink beer, we’d always say, ‘I wish I had some Owl’s Brew to add to this!’ We decided to stop complaining that this drink didn’t exist and actually make it. We’re manufacturers after all! It’s also funny to think that beer and tea are two of the world’s oldest brewed beverages. It seemed appropriate to combine them together to create the ultimate ‘double brew!’”

This is a tea party we can get on board with.

You may also like

Allison is a Brooklyn-based editor, writer, eater, and blogger. When she's not hunting for the best veggie burger in NYC, she's probably Instagramming, trying to make someone laugh, or defending the oxford comma.